Dili, December 3, 2024 (Média Democracia) – The NGO “Ba Futuru” in collaboration with UN Women and the Ministry of Interior facilitated a three-day workshop for 15 Civil Society organizations on, “Strengthening Civil Society for Women, Peace and Security” in order to strengthen collaboration and action in Timor-Leste.
Emanuela Nadia Sequeira Ribeiro, Program Manager of the NGO “Ba Futuru” said that this activity was held to provide training on the National Action Plan (NAP) 1325 with a focus on women, peace and security issues.
“Women, Peace and Security second phase for civil society organizations, this is as part led by the NGO “Ba Futuru” itself, this three-day training civil society will spread their knowledge well in NAP 1325, and also they will develop an action plan as part of an important aspect.” Said the Program Manager
PAN 1325 was held for three days so that civil society could see the strategies and mechanisms in implementing this activity in society, especially women and girls.
She informed that in this activity, the Ba Futuru NGO did not work alone, but received support from UN Women and also synergized with the Ministry of Home Affairs to disseminate it to associations that have supported this program.
“This process is the process which previously we together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and UN Women, facilitated training for the Ministry of Home Affairs staff and technical staff. If I may say, this knowledge should not only be kept in one section but in sections that have made a large contribution to NAP 1325,” She said.
She emphasized that NAP 1325 is indeed working with the Ministry of Home Affairs, but the program aspect is more focused on strengthening women’s issues.
“So there is also training on transformative leadership, so we are also working with MNEC to provide training that is more focused on transformative leadership for our female leaders, so this also includes NAP itself, we also provide training to female police officers, other leaders especially director positions or those who have important roles in the contribution of NAP and to people who make decisions.” She added.
She said the program would continue to look at how to increase and disseminate knowledge in NAP 1325 to strengthen women, especially women decision makers.
“So in 2025 there will continue to be activities to increase insight and also the hope is that in this workshop our civil society organizations can make an action plan and can be implemented well, and this will be implemented next year, the hope is that with this they can also take what has been learned in this training, meaning this is intensive, taking something that already exists to be able to continue to be implemented and continue to work together.” She said.
She hopes that with this plan, close cooperation can be established between Civil Society Organizations, the Government and also Agencies, so that they can work hard in order to improve Gender Equality properly and can empower NAP 1325 better.
As a representative of the Codiva Foundation, Fey de Carvalho Pereira expressed her happiness at being able to participate in this workshop, because this workshop discussed issues of women and girls.
“I am very happy to be able to participate in this workshop, and to be able to gain experience from the Ba Futuru NGO which deals with vulnerable women who experience domestic violence and how they can get their rights,” said Fey.
She informed that this activity was important because it could obtain information, especially about the community that contributed to the social norms that apply in Timor-Leste.
“Now we have some brothers/sisters who are challenging the prevailing social norms in Timor-Leste, the Ba Futuru NGO and also supporters of the Ba Futuru NGO who talk about women for peace, this is important, how to guide women so that they do not experience domestic violence and are not traumatized by the violence.” She told
She hopes that in the future, all women can gain freedom and peace.
“My hope in the future is that all women can get freedom, can get peace, and inequality is justice,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Codiva organization focuses on human rights and also the LGBT community, so that they can obtain fair justice in the country of RDTL. In addition, in the workshop held for three days, the organizations participating in this event were from 15 civil society organizations.
Reported by : Estefania
Picture by : Estefania